Underground, overground

"Gunnersbury Catholic School is a thriving, vibrant and caring learning community within which pupils are stretched intellectually and foster a love of learning, whilst feeling valued, happy and safe" (OFSTED)

The school's Science and Engineering Club is one of the most popular after school activities. The aims of the club are very straight forward : to support learning and stimulate an interest in the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths) by enabling boys to take their love of these subjects outside of the classroom, offering fun and interactive experiments and activities. A visit to the London Transport Museum gave boys an opportunity to experience being a London Underground tube driver and they also learned about the evolution of London Underground, which celebrated its 150th anniversary last year. Members of the club saw at first hand an original route-master bus and they examined the intricate engine that drove this iconic mode of transport for so many years. The Museum covers all aspects of public and commercial transport and the boys were particularly excited when they had a chance to experience a Red Arrow flight simulator ! Alvaro Martin (St Charles RC Primary, Kensington) from 8 Bourne describes the experience : ‘it was an unforgettable day and I now understand how the tunnels that support the underground do not collapse. I also learned how engineers were able to construct bridges without cement, using squared blocks of stone and a “V” shaped piece at the centre to keep it stable.’ On their return to school, the boys built their own bridge, following the same process as that used by the London Underground engineers, substituting stone for wood.